The Line (How Christ Changed the World!) From Being Born to Being Born Again! John 3:1-15
Description: Encouraging those “on the line” to join us in stepping across and being “born again!”
BEGIN:
Three weeks ago we began a series that we called, “The Line;” a series about “how the coming of Christ drew a line in the sands of time and changed the world.” Separating more than A.D. from B.C. but also separating…
➢ ...a time when God made great promises of a coming Messiah from the time when “the fullness of time had finally come” and God sent His Son and kept His Word. ➢ We also considered how the coming of Christ was supposed to draw “a line” between the time when we were “practitioners” of sin and when we are now to be striving to become more and more “strangers” to it. ➢ The coming of Christ was also a time when we who were “in the dark” about what God was up to stepped out of that “darkness” and “into the light” and became “enlightened” as to God’s great plan of salvation. ➢ And now, this morning, we are going to see how stepping across that “line” marks a time when we who were “born” and this side of the “line” were “born again.”
I. Everyone is born on the same side of the line, but not everyone stays there. I hope you are one.
Nicodemus wasn’t sure which side of the line he wanted to be on. That’s why he came to Christ by night. He recognized something of God in Christ. “For no one could do these signs that Jesus was doing unless God were with him.” Even a blind man could see that. In fact, A BLIND MAN DID SEE THAT! In John Chapter Nine a previously blind man that Jesus had healed and given back his sight was called in to testify before the very Pharisees to which Nicodemus belonged. And they said to the previously blind man…
John 9:29 “We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man (Jesus), we do not know where he comes from.”
And…
John 9:30
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The man (whom Jesus gave back his sight) answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.”
That’s what Nicodemus is thinking. But he didn’t want to risk saying anything in front of his unbelieving friends. So Nicodemus…
John 3:2 ...came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
Which for anyone else would have been quite flattering. But Jesus didn’t just COME FROM God.
● Jesus was the Only Begotten Son of God! ● Conceived by the Holy Spirit! ● Born of the Virgin Mary!
Remember? Remember how…
Luke 1:34 ...Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Luke 1:35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the (What? The...) Son of God.
That’s a whole ‘nother proposition! Nicodemus was ready to acknowledge that his Pharisaic friends might have it wrong about Jesus. But to say that Jesus was the Only Begotten Son of God, that was another thing! That would require a whole new way of thinking! And that brings us to the most important thing to be said this morning....
II. Some people take quite some time before deciding to step across this line, and some never do. I hope you are not one.
Jesus said...
John 3:3 ...“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
That’s the kind of change, Jesus said, that’ll be required. Starting all over again in your thinking. Allowing yourself to be “born again!” In John 10 Jesus said…
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John 10:30 I and the Father are one.”
And…
John 10:31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.
And...
John 10:32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”
And…
John 10:33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
That takes a brand new way of thinking to wrap your head around the idea THAT A MAN, even a Good Man like Jesus, could be God! And not “a (little ‘g”) god.” But God! And yet, that’s what the Bible says...
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
It takes some people, some time, to come to that truth. In fact, it can be argued, and is argued, that without God’s help, it can’t be done. On our own, we’ll never cross this line. That…
John 3:5 ...unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Water alone won’t do it. It also takes the Spirit of God.
Some people think Jesus is making a reference to what is prophesied several times in the OT. How back in those times God said…
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Isaiah 44:3 ...I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
Isaiah 44:4 They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams.
Isaiah 44:5 This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’s,’ another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel.”
And all that attributed to the “water” that God would pour out on thirsty land, and God’s “Spirit” that God would pour out upon men.
Jesus said....
John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.
We can’t do this on our own. On his own, Nicodemus can’t even understand the concept of being “born again!” When Jesus started talking about the necessity of being “born again”...
John 3:4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”
John 3:9 ...“How can these things be?”
...Nicodemus said.
● Nicodemus doesn’t understand. ● Nicodemus can’t understand. ● Nicodemus is never going to understand, until the Spirit helps him.
Because...
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
That’s why Jesus told His disciples that it was good that He was going away.
John 16:7
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...I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. (And you and I are going to need all the help we can get if we are going to cross this “line.”) But if I go (Jesus said…), I will send him to you.
John 16:8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness (the way we should be, but aren’t, living…) and judgment (to come):
That’s how He does it. That’s how the Holy Spirit helps us across “The Line.” He draws us, through conviction. Conviction of our sin. And conviction of what our sin did to Jesus. That seems to have been the final tug that drew Nicodemus across “The Line.”
John 19:38 After (taking us through Jesus’ crucifixion, this same Gospel says... ) these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.
And look at this!...
John 19:39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.
John 19:40 So (together) they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
John 19:41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
John 19:42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
And it seems that old Nicodemus, who had teetered so long upon the razor’s edge, between being born & being “born again,” was finally drawn across. Which is exactly what Jesus said would happen.
John 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
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John 12:33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
Earlier, when Nicodemus had his conversation with Jesus in the middle of the night, the one Nicodemus had not been able to understand, Jesus said…
John 3:14 ...as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
...so...
John 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
And unless I miss my guess, that’s what Nicodemus now has. Because Nicodemus allowed himself to be drawn across that “line.”
Some people take quite some time before deciding to step across, and some never do. But I think Nicodemus did. And that’s what I’m praying you will do too.
END:
When I first told Blake about my idea for this series I showed Blake the graphic I had in mind, and Blake went to work trying to turn the entire worship center into a visual graphic of “The Line” that was drawn in Bethlehem when Christ was born. And Blake I thank you for all that extra work. The lights, the curtains, the manger, and “The Line” you drew across the stage and down the middle of the Church. I’ve had a lot of people tell me how that “line” has really helped them see “how the coming of Christ changed our world.” And “how the coming of Christ was supposed to change us!” But when one of our deacons first came in and saw that “line” he asked what was up? He said that “line” reminded him of squabbling siblings drawing a “line” down the middle of their bedroom, a “line” neither was supposed to cross! I told him to hang on, and he’d see how this “line” represented just the opposite. How this “line” represented how the coming of Christ changed the world, and was suppose to change us! How Christ didn’t draw that “line” and then dare us to cross. But Christ’s coming drew that clear and distinct “line” and now…
Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
Some of you have teetered on the edge for too long. It’s time for you to come. It’s time for you to allow yourself to be drawn across “The Line” from “The Dark Side” -- to the other side -- and
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be “born again.” Born of “water” and the “Spirit” like so many before you have done. You come.
You come like Shelby came this morning, and be baptized into Christ. Shelby, would you come and let us welcome you on this side of “The Line!”
I’m going to hang out on this front row as we stand and sing and pray and see if someone else would like to come and step across “The Line!” Let’s stand and pray together before we sing.
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